Cocos Strata Recipes

EASY STRATA AND VARIATIONS

Steps:

• Saute mushrooms in 1 tablespoon of oil. Season with salt and set aside.
• Whisk half-and-half, eggs, salt and pepper until smooth. Spray a 9-by-13-inch Pyrex or ceramic baking dish with vegetable cooking spray.
• Line bottom with 6 slices of bread. Scatter half of the ham, and half of the mushrooms over the bread, then sprinkle with half of the scallions and cheese. Pour 1 cup of egg mixture over the top. Repeat layers with remaining bread, ham, mushrooms, cheese and scallions. Slowly pour remaining egg mixture evenly over top. Cover with plastic wrap, then weight down casserole with 3 16-ounce cans for at least 15 minutes to submerge ingredients. (Can be refrigerated overnight, but return to room temperature before baking.)
• Adjust oven rack to middle position. Bake in preheated 325-degree oven until custard is just set, about 50 minutes. Turn on broiler and broil until strata is spotty brown and puffy (watch carefully), about 5 minutes longer. Let stand for 8 to 10 minutes, then serve immediately.

PINEAPPLE-COCONUT STRATA

Steps:

• Spray 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray. Spread bread cubes evenly in baking dish.
• In medium bowl, beat eggs, coconut milk, half-and-half, preserves, rum extract and salt with wire whisk. Pour over bread. Cover; refrigerate 8 hours or overnight.
• Heat oven to 350°F. Uncover baking dish; let stand at room temperature 15 minutes. Sprinkle with coconut and nuts. Bake 40 to 50 minutes or until set and knife inserted in center comes out clean.

MEXICAN CHORIZO STRATA

Steps:

• Heat a drizzle of EVOO in a skillet. Add the chorizo and cook, crumbling with a wooden spoon, until browned. Drain off the fat.
• Arrange the bread in a casserole dish. Top with the chorizo and then the roasted chiles.
• Whisk together the milk, butter, hot sauce and eggs in a bowl and sprinkle with salt and pepper; pour over the chiles. Top with the cheese. Cover and refrigerate at least overnight and up to 2 days.
• To serve, bring the strata to room temperature and preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Bake the strata for 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, whizz together the sour cream, avocado and lime juice in a food processor and season with salt and pepper.
• Top the strata with tomatoes, cilantro and dollops of the avocado sour cream.

COCO'S STRATA

Steps:

• Pre-heat oven to 350.
• Grease 9 x 13 pan.
• Fry sausage, breaking it up (like ground beef) as it cooks then drain on paper towels.
• Tear bread into bite-sized pieces and place in pan.
• Sprinkle cooked sausage then cheese evenly over bread.
• In a medium bowl, combine eggs, salt, Worcestershire sauce and milk, and whisk together with wire whisk until combined.
• Pour over bread mixture then sprinkle bacon over the top.
• Bake 35-40 minutes at 350, checking bacon after 25 minutes- if it looks too brown, cover with foil for rest of cooking time.
• This can be prepared up to the night before (just increase cooking time to 55-60 minutes if prepared in advance).